Nigerian rapper Olarenwaju Ogunmefun aka Vector has taken to social media to pen a note to parents on what to tell their children amid calls for nationwide protests over hardship in the country.
In a statement on his official Instagram page, the musician claimed that parents should stand alongside their children to address how society is currently impacting their future.
Vector stated that things are currently too difficult in Nigeria for everyone to be simply comfortable, even though all of the leaders in charge are comfortable.
READ ALSO: Rapper Vector says data tariff increase will kill creativity
The rapper wrote; “My words are to the parents, there is understanding that many of you may be afraid and it’s not your fault that your children are struggling with how the society is being run; however, young people are taking their own lives because they can’t make sense about their personal honest everyday living reality.
’’I say all that to say, maybe you should stand with your children on how the present way of society is affecting their future; the same future you somehow wish and pray is bright for them.
’’The way of life we seek is not unreasonable… Things are too hard for everyone to be simply comfortable when all the elders responsible are beyond comfortable.
’’Some of us never sold our souls and nobody will stop the spirit of God”, he added.
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HARDSHIP: Vector tells parents what to tell their children amid calls for protests
Three bag life jail for raping deaf woman in Kebbi
Justice Shamsudeen Jafar of the Kebbi High Court, on Tuesday, sentenced to life three men, Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno of Wararin Zaromawa village, for raping an 18-year-old deaf woman in the state.
According Metro gathered that the convicts faced two counts of criminal conspiracy and rape, offences punishable under sections 259 and 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.
The court heard that the acts were perpetrated at Wararin Zaromawa village in Gwandu Local Government Area of the state.
According to the prosecution counsel, Faridah Muhammad, the three defendants raped the victim while she was asleep.
“The defendants broke into the victim’s house while she was asleep and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her. They choked her with a thick piece of cloth and tied her hands with a rope before having carnal knowledge of her one by one,” she said.
The judge stated that the prosecution had proved all the elements of carnal knowledge of the victim.
“I am of the firm view that all the defendants conspired in perpetrating the act. Meanwhile, the convicts conspired and raped the victim, who is an 18-year-old deaf woman, at her husband’s residence.
“All ingredients needed to establish a criminal conspiracy to commit rape were established beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution. The court has no option but to act upon the evidence before it,” he said.
Delivering his judgment, the judge court held the defendants were guilty as charged.
“Having found you guilty of the charge, you Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for finding all of you guilty under sections 259 and 60 of Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021,” he declared.
Lawmakers grill UK PM, Starmer, for suspending seven MPs
The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, faces first House of Commons grilling, on Wednesday, sequel to his suspension of seven of his own Labour members of parliament for rebelling over a controversial welfare policy.
Starmer suspended the Labour rebels late Tuesday after they supported a motion which demanded the removal of the contentious two-child limit on benefits introduced by the previous Conservative government.
Their votes supporting ending the cap — introduced in 2015 and which restricts payments to the first two children born to most families — is an early test of Starmer’s authority.
The new UK leader has warned there is “no silver bullet” to ending child poverty but acknowledged the “passion” of MPs who oppose maintaining the policy.
Starmer’s decision to suspend the whip from the group of left-wingers, which included former finance spokesman John McDonnell, was seen as a show of ruthlessness from his new administration.
READ ALSO: King Charles formally appoints Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister
Recall that the Prime Minister took power a few weeks ago after his party, in opposition for 14 years from 2010, won a landslide in the July 4 general election.
The victory followed a four-year struggle since he became party leader to shift Labour back to the political centre ground from the hard-left regime of former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The party in 2019 experienced its worst election result in nearly a century under Corbyn.
Starmer will be on his feet in the Commons at 1100 GMT for his first weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session, when the politically charged two-child cap could feature.
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NDLEA seizes 305 blocks of cannabis, arrests suspect in Yobe
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Yobe State Command, has confiscated 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5kg enroute to Niger Republic.
The Command’s spokesperson, Ramatu Badamasi, disclosed this to newsmen in Damaturu.
She said that the 305 blocks of the substances were confiscated in Geidam local government area of the state.
According to the spokesperson, a 39-year-old suspect, identified as Bukar, was arrested in connection with the seized illicit drugs at Geidam on 14th July, while taking the illicit consignment to Diffa, in Niger Republic.
Chairman of NDLEA, Brig.Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) had over the weekend commended operatives of the command for the seizure and arrest, noting that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated.
He urged them not to rest on their oars, but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA seizes 305 blocks of cannabis, arrests suspect in Yobe
NDLEA arrests wanted Lagos drug baron
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday said its operatives have arrested the leader of Mushin, Lagos drug cartel identified as Sulaiman Jimoh aka Temo.
The agency stated that Temo, who had been on its wanted list, had been evading arrest until he was eventually nabbed.
His arrest comes after a drug baron, identified as Joachin Mbonu, was arrested in his mansion in Imo State on July 12 after fleeing from South Africa.
In a statement on Wednesday, the NDLEA ‘s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said Temo was apprehended at his hideout after initially resisting along with his men.
He said, “After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, 57-year-old Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh (alias Olowoidiogede, popularly known as Temo), has been arrested by operatives of the NDLEA, at his enclave after an initial resistance from him and his horde of hoodlums.”
Babafemi recalled that operatives of the NDLEA had seized drugs worth billions of naira from Temo.
He added that a few of the NDLEA operatives with Temo had resulted in fierce gun duels.
Babafemi said, “In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight.
“Some of the recent seizures of his shipments include: 14, 524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana in two trucks and a J5 bus intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024; two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on 4th May 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on Wednesday 26th July 2023. Indeed, in the last two encounters, his men engaged NDLEA operatives in a gunfight.”
Narrating how Temo was arrested, Babafemi said the NDLEA ‘s surveillance team tracked him to Igbarere Street in Mushin and was pinned down on July 22.
He said the team immediately called for a reinforcement of 50 operatives when he tried to escape.
Babafemi said, “The drug kingpin was very notorious for always being on the move to evade arrest but with persistence and determination of the Agency aided by modern tools and intelligence, the concerted effort to get him paid off at 10 am on Monday, July 22, 2024 when NDLEA’s surveillance teams on his trail tracked and pinned him down at Igbarere street, Mushin. A reinforcement of about 50 operatives was immediately mobilized to the area while he was attempting to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350 marked 01G-300G.”
Babafemi stated that Temo attempted to mobilize hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives to facilitate his escape, but he was unsuccessful.
He said, “His attempt to escape by mobilizing hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives however failed after which he was overpowered and whisked away from the chaotic scene while his men surrendered to the superior firepower of the anti-narcotic agents who also succeeded in recovering the Mercedes Benz SUV the suspect was found in.”
Babafemi said the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force, and other formations for Temo’s arrest.
He said, “In his reaction to the arrest of Temo, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force, and other formations tasked with the assignment of getting Temo arrested for their resilience, vigilance, and professionalism. He urged them to intensify the heat on all drug cartels wherever they are located.”
Mohbad’s family conducts new autopsy to reveal cause of singer’s death
The family of late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, AKA Mohbad, has conducted a new autopsy to determine the cause of his death.
One of the family’s lawyers, Monisola Odumosu, disclosed that the autopsy was conducted on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20.
In a statement, Odumosu said: “The second autopsy, requested by the Aloba family and ordered by Magistrate T.A. Shotobi, took place on July 19 and 20, 2024.
“This is a two-part process, and if the initial examination doesn’t reveal the cause of death, toxicology and histology tests will be conducted.
“The procedure was observed by Mr Joseph Aloba, the forensic pathologist he appointed, his legal representatives, and a pathologist appointed by Wunmi Aloba.”
In June, a Coroner Court magistrate in Ikorodu, Lagos State, T.A. Shotobi, granted Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, permission to hire a licensed pathologist for an independent autopsy.
Mohbad died on September 12, 2023 at the age of 26 in a controversial manner, and the cause of his death remains unclear.
Mohbad’s family conducts new autopsy to reveal cause of singer’s death
IBEDC boosts electricity for over 10,000 customers in Ogun
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc has announced the completion of a major enhancement of its electricity infrastructure serving the Sango/Ota area in Ogun State, Nigeria.
In a statement made available to According Online by IBEDC’s spokesperson, Busolami Tunwase, on Wednesday, the company said this upgrade is set to significantly improve power supply reliability for customers in the region.
“Key improvements include the successful migration of the SANGO 33KV feeder to a more robust T3 100MVA, 132KV/33KV transformer at the Ota Transmission Station. Additionally, IBEDC has introduced a new dedicated ROTOCROWN 33KV feeder.
“These enhancements are designed to cater to the increasing electricity demands and ensure superior service quality for over 10,241 IBEDC customers,” the statement read.
The company said the upgraded transformers at the Ota Transmission Station now support three essential feeders: ROTOCROWN 33KV, TOWER ALLOY 33KV, and SANGO 33KV.
IBEDC said, “These upgrades will enable IBEDC to meet the rising energy needs in the region and provide stable electricity supply to numerous communities. Notably, the enhanced Sango 33KV feeder will benefit residents of Alishiba, Ilogbo, Bayo Block, Animashaun and Ewupe.”
The company disclosed that these improvements are expected to enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses in these areas by ensuring a more consistent and reliable electricity supply.
According to the statement, the Acting Managing Director of IBEDC, Francis Agoha, emphasised the company’s commitment to service excellence and infrastructure investment.
“This upgrade underscores our dedication to enhancing the electricity infrastructure within our operational areas.
“The increased transformer capacity at the Ota Transmission Station will enable us to meet growing electricity demands and provide a more stable and reliable power supply to our customers in Sango/Ota,” Agoha said.
“These recent upgrades are part of a broader strategy to modernize the power distribution network and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The ongoing commitment to infrastructure investment ensures IBEDC can continue providing high-quality electricity services to its customers,” the statement concluded.
Meta deletes 63,000 accounts in ‘Yahoo Boys’ crackdown
Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group, the company announced in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday.
The accounts, deleted over the past few weeks, were used for financial sextortion scams and distributing blackmail scripts. Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.
Meta said it identified and disabled these accounts through a combination of advanced technical signals and comprehensive investigations, enhancing its automated detection systems.
“Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled in recent years by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organised cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different types of scams,” the social media giant stated.
It added, “We’ve removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams, including a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts.”
“We’ve also removed a set of Facebook accounts, Pages, and groups run by Yahoo Boys—banned under our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy—that were attempting to organize, recruit and train new scammers,” the company explained.
During the investigation, Meta said it found that most scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, though some had targeted minors. These cases were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Meta revealed that it also shared information with other tech companies via the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to help curb these scams across platforms.
Further, the parent company of Facebook said it removed around 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were providing scam-related resources.
These assets were found offering scripts and guides for scams and sharing links to collections of photos for creating fake accounts, it expounded.
Since this disruption, Meta’s systems have been actively blocking attempts from these groups to return, continually improving their detection capabilities.
The company noted that it has also been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions by responding to legal requests and alerting authorities to imminent threats.
The social media giant stated that its efforts extend beyond account removal.
“We also fund and support NCMEC and the International Justice Mission to run Project Boost, a program that trains law enforcement agencies around the world in processing and acting on NCMEC reports.
“We’ve conducted several training sessions so far, including in Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place just last month,” the firm revealed.
To protect users, especially teens, Meta disclosed that it has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 (under 18 in certain countries) and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behaviour online.
Last week, Meta was fined $220m by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for multiple violations of data protection laws linked to WhatsApp.
The investigation, initiated in May 2021, found that Meta’s privacy policies infringed on users’ rights, including unauthorized data sharing and discriminatory practices.
Meta plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it disagrees with the findings and the imposed penalty. The FCCPC aims to ensure fair treatment of Nigerian users and compliance with local regulations.
NLC clarifies position on planned nationwide protest
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a statement debunking reports of its withdrawal from the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship scheduled for August 1.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, emphasized that the union cannot withdraw from a protest it did not organize.
Ajaero explained that the NLC has a structured decision-making process for industrial actions like protests, which involves internal trade union mechanisms and leadership approval.
He clarified that the NLC is aware of the dire living conditions Nigerians face due to harsh economic policies, but its non-involvement in organizing the protest does not mean indifference.
This was contained in a press release signed by Ajaero titled, ‘The Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise.’
READ ALSO:Nigerians have every right to protest —Atiku
The statement reads “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such a story as patently false.
“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest that can decide to pull out or continue with the protest,” Ajaero said.
This development raises questions about the actual organizers of the protest and their intentions.
The NLC’s statement may be seen as a strategic move to maintain its independence and avoid potential backlash. As the protest’s date approaches, the situation remains fluid, with the NLC’s stance potentially influencing other labor unions and stakeholders.
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Nigerian Govt resumes mass trial of terrorism suspects
The Federal Government of Nigeria has resumed mass trials of persons allegedly involved in terrorism and suspects of other heinous crimes against the Nigerian State.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, National Counter Terrorism Centre – Office of the National Security Adviser, NCTC-ONSA, Michael Abu, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Abu said the resumption of the trials was in pursuance of the government’s commitment to promoting social justice by entrenching a transparent administrative system.
He said the ongoing trials are in line with the International Criminal Justice System and were being administered by the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
He added the Complex Casework Group (CCG) of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and other critical stakeholders were also involved.
According to him, the trials are being prosecuted under the coordination and supervision of the NCTC-ONSA.
Abu said that more than 300 suspects were on trial, with five reputable judges manning the five courts and chambers set up for the speedy administration of justice.
He further disclosed that the trial involved multiple stakeholders, CCG prosecutors and defense counsel from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON).
“Before now, more than 800 case files had been reviewed, and charges were drafted for efficient prosecution to ensure that justice is appropriately served.
“Between 2017 and 2018, the trials so far resulted in 163 convictions, 882 discharges, and 5 acquittals.
“Suspects that are inculpable are being deradicalized, engaged in profitable ventures, and efforts to reintegrate them are being sustained.
“The NCTC-ONSA is working assiduously with relevant authorities in fulfilling its mandates and to boost efforts of the incumbent administration towards realizing good governance and a just society,” Abu added.
Nigerian Govt resumes mass trial of terrorism suspects